The Aftermath
by Christine Writer
Summary: It is after the tragedy. Cal finds Rose, but will she manage to escape? And is Jack.....ALIVE?
1. A Diary

The Aftermath

April 14th, 1919

From the diary of Rose Dawson It was freezing cold that night. All I can recall clearly was that it was freezing cold. I was lying on top of a piece of wood of some sort, with the man I loved with all of my heart clutching my hand for dear life. I saw lights, and then heard "Is there anyone alive out there? Can anyone hear me?"

I called out my love's name repeatedly and to my horror, realized that he had frozen to death. I realized that I had to keep my promise to him to survive, but I didn't want to leave him. I also realized that our hands were frozen together. I pulled and after what seemed like hours, disconnected my hand from his. I saw a frozen crewman nearby and saw a whistle in his mouth. I had to get that whistle, but to get it I would have to let Jack's body sink to the bottom; he wasn't wearing a life jacket.

I whispered that I would never let go of my promise, and let Jack's hand slip from mine. His body, frozen yet limp, sank. I crawled off the door and slipped into the cold water. Shivering, I made my way over to the crewman--and his whistle. 

I snatched the whistle from the crewman's lips, shoved it into mine, and blew as hard as I could. The boat turned around and came back. Someone lifted me into the boat and covered me with a blanket. I thought of Jack, our passionate kiss on the sinking stern, and how he had changed the course of my life. What I didn't know that moment was that I had not lost anything at all. 


	2. Caledon Hockley

Rose's life boat reached the Carpathia by dawn, and instead of claiming her place in first class with the likes of Cal Hockley and her mother Ruth, Rose decided to go with the steerage group. Even though she had only associated with that class for one night, she felt more at home there than she had felt in her entire life in the upper circles of society.

Rose wrapped a warm blanket around herself and sat on a bench. She heard a man's voice say, "I don't think you'll find anyone of your people down here, sir; it's all steerage." Deep down in Rose's innermost being, she knew that it was Cal. His very presence surrounded her. Rose heard Cal's shoes coming toward her. She huddled down so Cal would mistake her for an old hag. Rose didn't want him to find her. "Rose?" she heard Cal say. Rose felt his hand on her shoulder. 

"What do you want, Cal?" she asked bluntly. "I want to know if you're okay, darling. Why are you here with the gutter rats? Do you feel like being among that idiot's equals will comfort you? Or is your Prince Charming returning?"

"Cal," Rose said quietly, "I don't think any of us will ever be okay again. And to answer your question, Jack didn't...he didn't make it." Cal pretended to look remorseful, but Rose could see in his eyes a triumphant gleam. He was happy that Jack had died! Happy, because now Rose might settle for him! 

"You disgust me, Cal. How can you be triumphant when Jack died?" she asked, shocked that even Cal could be so low. "I won't deny it. I am triumphant; Jack lost. I have now won your hand." Cal said. "I'd be takin' me hands off of the lady right about now, if I was you, mister." a voice came from behind Cal. 


	3. Jack's Back?

Rose looked past Cal and saw Patrick Ryan, Tommy's friend who had watched with awe as Rose had releved onto her toes that night in steerage. "Hello, Patrick." Rose addressed him, smiling. "I would appreciate it greatly if you taught this fine first class gentleman how to mind his manners."

"A fight?" Patrick looked surprised that Rose was instigating a fight after all that had happened. "No," she said. "I just want you and your friends to return him to first class, where he belongs. Don't you dare fistfight after last night." Patrick nodded and motioned for two of his friends to come over. The three of them overpowered Cal before he knew what they were doing. They dragged him, kicking and yelling, back to first class. 

The crewman who had spoken to Cal before was indignant that three rough and tumbling Irishmen were manhandling one of the most affluent survivors. "What's going on?" he cried. "This nice gentleman here was botherin' a young lady who didn't want his attentions. We're just takin' him back to first class." The crewman stood aside and let them pass. Rose laughed when she saw Cal being dragged up the stairs.

It began to rain, not much, but enough to need an umbrella. The Carpathia docked in New York and Rose saw the Statue of Liberty. "Look, Jack. Look how tall she is." she whispered. An official came up to her and asked, "Can I take your name, please, love?" Rose thought for about ten seconds about changing her life forever and confusing the passenger list beyond belief, and then said, "Dawson. Rose Dawson." Rose barely heard the official thank her. She stepped backward and stumbled into someone behind her. "I like the name." a voice Rose had dreamed of hearing again breathed into her ear. 


	4. Separated

"Jack!" Rose fairly screamed as he enveloped her in his embrace. "Rose, I thought I would never see you again!" he squeezed Rose tight and planted a kiss firmly on her lips. "Oh, Jack, I'm so sorry. I didn't want to let you go. Honest I didn't." 

"Shhh, Rose, it's okay. It's okay. I know. I was so cold and frozen, I heard you call my name and I didn't have the strength to respond. It's okay. It's not your fault." Jack said, and then they kissed more passionately than they had ever before. 

"How did you survive? I didn't see you in the boat." Rose asked as they embraced tightly again. "Rose, as soon as the waters closed over my head, I knew that I had to survive. I floundered my way to the surface with my arms and climbed up onto the piece of wood I put you onto. Another boat, boat 14, came past an hour later. I got here shortly after dawn, but I had to be taken care of. Luckily, no one saw my chopped up handcuffs. I went and looked around for you upstairs, but you weren't there. And as Cal asked, "Why are you down here with the gutter rats?""

Rose groaned. "You heard that?" 

Jack grinned. "Every insipid word that peacock uttered. We'll have to thank Patrick and his friends later." he led Rose over to the bench she had been sitting on earlier. Jack and Rose sat, and Patrick happened upon them moments later. "Jack?" he cried incredulously. "Rose thought ya didn't make it!" 

"Oh, Rose," he turned toward Rose in particular, "we took care of that Cal character for ya. We just told the cap'n of this fine ship that he was botherin' a young lady who didn't want his attentions. He said he would make sure Cal didn't leave first class." 

"Thank you very much, Patrick." Rose thanked him and wrapped the blanket she was using partially around Jack, because he still seemed freezing cold, even though he told her he was fine. "I'll tell you all my story later." Jack promised, pulling Rose close to him. "Right now, Rose and I have some catching up to do." Patrick grinned and walked away.

"Where do we go from here?" Jack asked Rose. "Let's see what Cal managed to stuff into his pockets." Rose smiled. She felt in the pockets of Cal's wool coat and produced several wads of cash and the necklace--The Heart of the Ocean. "I knew that Cal had to have put something valuable in this coat after he yelled something to Killjoy about putting the coat on me. This is my money, anyway. The necklace was in my safe, so he must have grabbed my money, too." 

Jack laughed. "Isn't it Lovejoy?" he asked playfully.

"Technically, yes." Rose responded, giving Jack the necklace to hold until she stuffed the money back into her pockets.

"There they are!" she heard Cal's voice booming from the direction of the stairs. He and two officers approached Jack and Rose. "There! He has it in his hand!" Jack rolled his eyes. "Not the dumb necklace thing again, Mr. Hockley." he said. Rose stood with fire in her eyes, snatching the necklace from Jack's hands. "Officers, this man has done nothing wrong. Mr. Hockley is simply a sore loser."

"That necklace is mine." Cal said tersely. "As I recall, Mr. Hockley," Rose said, "You gave that necklace to me the day the Titanic sank."

"No, I didn't." Cal scoffed. "I simply placed it in your safe because my safe had a faulty catch. I wanted it to be secure." 

"Who is this young lady?" one of the officers asked Cal, as if Rose wasn't even there. "My name is Rose Dawson--" Rose began, but Cal cut her off. "Her name is Rose DeWitt Bukater, and she is my fiancé." Rose gasped. "I am not! I really never was, either."

"Sir--" one officer addressed Jack. "Jack Dawson." Jack supplied. "Mr. Dawson, you will have to come with us." 

"No! I won't stand for this!" Rose cried. "Jack is innocent!" she took a step forward and Cal stuck his foot in her path. Rose fell to the deck and struck her head. The last thing she heard was, "Take him away, please." 


	5. The Train Ride

Rose's head hurt like nothing else when she awoke. She was in a first class cabin, in a soft bed. She saw her mother sitting next to the bed, looking very concerned. Rose sat up much too fast and everything came rushing back, including blood to her brain. "Jack..." she groaned. "What did they do to him?"

"That ragtag foul-mouthed, spitting young man with whom you were so infatuated?" Ruth DeWitt Bukater scoffed. "He was taken through the gate immediately and put in jail. His trial will be soon, of course, but you won't be going.

"Besides," Ruth continued, "There is someone who is most anxious to see you." A knock sounded on the door and Cal entered. "Hello, darling. Are you all right?"

"As well as can be expected after a snake of a first class gentleman tripped me." Rose said icily. "I didn't trip you." Cal scoffed. "You must have tripped over a rope."

"Your perfectly formed dress shoe is a rope now, is it?" Rose asked coldly.

"I didn't trip you." Cal insisted. "By the way, Jack's trial is tomorrow, but if you agree to carry on with our engagement as if nothing had ever happened, then I will drop all charges against Jack, with the exchange that you two will never see each other again. Jack will be sent back to Ireland, and you will stay here with me.

"If you refuse, I will make sure," Cal continued, "that Jack rots in prison for the rest of his life. Believe me, Rose, I can make it happen. You do not want to trifle with me anymore."

Rose gasped. "Fine." she said, "I'll marry you as long as you let Jack walk away a free man and let him stay in America." Rose figured that she would work on marrying Jack instead of Cal later. 

"Good." Cal smiled. "I knew you would come to your senses. Jack can stay here, I suppose, but you will never see him." Cal helped Rose to stand and led her out of the cabin. "Where is everyone?" Rose wondered.

"Oh, they've all left the ship. Your mother decided you were too delicate to move to a hospital. Right that way to go through the gate, darling." Rose cringed at being called such a name. "Cal, would you mind not calling me that? It is a bit uncouth before our wedding."

"Well, Rose, if that's the way you want it, that's okay with me. Anything to make you happy." Cal wrapped his arm possessively around Rose's waist. "Cal, please!" Rose wriggled out of his grasp, bowing her head slightly. "It is improper."

"I am so glad you are paying attention to the rules of etiquette, Rose." Cal sounded pleased. 

Hours later, Ruth, Cal, and Rose were finally in America. Cal whistled for a cab and one stopped beside them promptly. "To Grand Central Station, driver." Cal commanded, not even saying "please." The cab driver nodded and started driving. Soon they were at the train. "Three tickets to Philadelphia." Cal told the man at the window. The threesome boarded the train. 

Her entire train ride, Rose was planning on how to get out of marrying Cal. She went over several scenarios in her head, but each had more than one flaw in them. She needed everything to be perfect and leave nothing to chance. Rose looked lost in her thoughts, and Cal noticed it. "Dreaming of wedding plans, Rose?" Cal smiled and took her hand. Rose nodded demurely. It wasn't a lie; she was dreaming of wedding plans, but none involving Cal Hockley.

Meanwhile, Jack was sitting in a dirty cell, thinking about Rose. He couldn't stop; he repeated her name over and over so many times in his head that he started saying it aloud. "Rose. Rose." he chanted softly. "Shut up!" a guard passing by ordered. Jack returned to repeating the chant in his head. 


	6. Another Train Ride

As the miles sped by, Rose fingered the money she had tucked away into her pocketbook. She snapped it closed as a thought came to her. How hard could getting off the train and taking one in the opposite direction be? Not really hard, Rose guessed.

"I need to excuse myself." Rose stood. "Just wait, Rose." her mother instructed. "We are pulling into the next station. You may relieve yourself there." Rose waited and walked off the train when it stopped. "Do you need anything, Cal, Mother?" she asked. Ruth and Cal shook their heads. "We'll stay here and discuss wedding plans. You go ahead." 

Rose knew that this was the perfect station to switch back to New York at because the next leg of the journey would be an hour-and-a-half-long express to just outside Philadelphia.

Rose walked up to the ticket window and asked for a one-way ticket to New York. She paid for it and boarded the train in the opposite direction. The train sped off, with Rose on it.

Meanwhile, Cal and Ruth were beginning to wonder where Rose was. The call came for all-aboard and soon the train was underway. Rose had paid a porter to come to Cal and Ruth and tell them that Rose would be there in a moment; she had to sit down further away because the train was starting up.Cal and Ruth were satisfied with that, and got back to wedding plans. 

As they came to a stop more than an hour later, they realized that Rose hadn't returned. "Where did she go?" Cal was exasperated. Ruth shook her head. "You don't suppose she went back to New York?" she queried. 

"She must have--to get that dirty rat out of prison!" Cal exclaimed. He rushed over to the ticket window. "Two tickets to New York City, quickly!" Cal demanded. "When does the next train leave?" The ticket man handed Cal the tickets. "You just missed one by about ten minutes, sir. The next one doesn't leave for two hours, at least." 


	7. Romeo and Juliet

Meanwhile, Rose was outside Jack's cell. "We have to get you out of here!" she whispered. "Cal's probably on his way to find us!" A guard passed by and Rose told him in hushed tones, "If you free this man I will give you twenty-five dollars in cash." The guard hesitated. Twenty-five dollars in cash was tempting, but his father had taught him never to trust a woman, especially one so beautiful. "Please, it is a matter of life and death." Rose nearly whispered. "If this man remains in prison, I will be quick to join my Maker." 

The guard shook his head. He felt like he was betraying his father by trusting a woman, but something in Rose's eyes and voice told him that she was dead serious. "You don't have to do that, miss." he said, pulling the keys out of his pocket. Rose paid him twenty-five dollars, and soon she and Jack were out on the street. They fairly ran to the station and boarded a train for Chicago, paying the ticket man at the window twenty dollars not to tell anyone where they had gone.

Ruth and Cal reached New York four hours after Jack and Rose had departed for Chicago. They went to the prison, but when they didn't find Jack there, they went back to the train. They asked at every window, until they found the ticket man Jack and Rose had paid. They described Jack and Rose, and paid the man fifty dollars to tell them where they had gone. "The next train for Chicago leaves in three hours." he told them, and they bought tickets. 

Jack and Rose's train reached Chicago ahead of the schedule. "Where do we go next? Chippewa Falls?" Rose asked breathlessly. "No, too obvious. They know I'm from there." Jack replied. "Train for Butte, Montana leaving in five minutes." the gentleman sitting nearby told them. "What's gotcha all fired up to run off?"

Somehow, Rose felt compelled to tell the man their story. "Sounds a bit like Romeo and Juliet." the man remarked. "'Cept you're running off toMontana with me instead of commitin' suicide."

Rose still had almost two thousand dollars, but the man insisted on paying their way to Montana. "It's my contribution to your happiness." he rose and started for the ticket window. "All the men here are my good friends. I'll make sure they divert your mother and that Cal fellow."

Jack and Rose were amazed. They boarded the train to Butte and relaxed once it was in motion. "Once we get to Butte, Rose, we're going to get a house, and raise that big family you've always wanted." Jack said softly. "I love you so much, Jack!" Rose scooted closer to Jack. 


	8. I Can't Go to Prison!

A while later, Ruth and Cal reached Chicago. They asked all the ticket men about Jack and Rose. None of them said anything, but a man who had watched Jack and Rose board the train to Butte told Ruth and Cal. Cal caught the next train to Butte, Ruth opting to stay in Chicago. 

Rose felt uneasy as the train pulled into Butte hours later. When they arrived, there was a telegram at the station for them. Jack read it quickly and grabbed Rose's wrist a little too tightly. "Cal in on his way to find us!" he told Rose. "How?" she gasped. "One of the ticketmen saw a man telling Cal and Ruth something after the ticketman refused to tell them anything. Cal managed to buy a ticket to Butte and is on his way here. We've got to get a move on, Rose."

"Jack, where do we go?" Rose asked. "Maybe it would be better if we confronted Cal. It would be so much easier than running, Jack." Jack looked right into Rose's eyes. "If he catches up to us, he'll have me arrested. Rose, I still have marks from those handcuffs on my wrists. The handcuffs were why the police were so quick to believe Cal on the Carpathia instead of asking questions."

Rose set her jaw. "I am tired of running, Jack." she said. "We might as well let Cal have the satisfaction of catching up to us. I would testify in your favor, I promise."

"Rose, you know perfectly well that Cal Hockley wouldn't let you take the stand in a million years! We have to make a run for it! There's no other way, Rose!" Jack exclaimed.

"Jack, listen to yourself. Why do we have to run?" Rose realized then what the confusing feelings she'd been having for the past few days were. Those feelings hadn't been because she didn't want to marry Cal--even though she didn't--they were because she knew, deep down, that what she and Jack were doing was very wrong. He had seduced her aboard the Titanic, and the worst part was that she had gone along with it!

"Jack," tears filled her eyes. "I don't care if Cal finds us. We probably, from all the sermons I've heard preachers in Ireland give, are doing something very wrong. Sure, Cal planted the necklace on you and you were arrested unjustly. What were we doing when that happened? What we were doing was very wrong, Jack. You need to leave now if you don't want to get arrested, Jack, but I'm staying here. We should own up to our actions, and even if you don't, I will."

They sat in silence for a time on the bench in the station. Then Jack stood. "I can't spend the rest of my life in prison, Rose." he whispered, planting a final kiss on her cheek. "I just can't." Jack walked away and disappeared into the crush of people. 


	9. Charles Calvert

Rose stood and tried to see where he had gone, but he had disappeared. She sighed and boarded the next available train. Rose had told Jack she was going to own up to her actions, but she realized she didn't want to marry Cal. She paid for her ticket when the conductor approached her, but she didn't even ask where the train was headed. She found out much later as they pulled into a station that the train was bound for Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She settled in for the long ride and fell into a deep sleep.

When they reached Cedar Rapids, she saw a handsome young man waiting for someone. Her heart sank when she saw a young woman disembarking and heading straight for the man, but then another man appeared, and the woman greeted the new man with a kiss on the lips.

Rose realized she had absolutely no luggage, and so she got off the train. She looked around for the ticket window to obtain information about lodging. "Meeting someone?" a deep voice nearby asked. She spotted the young man right away. "No, and I haven't any bags."

"I'm Charles. Charles Calvert." he introduced himself. "And you are?"

"Rose De-Dawson." Rose almost said "Rose DeWitt Bukater" but remembered just in time that she had changed her name. "That's a lovely name." Charles said. 


	10. Letting Jack Go

Soon, Charles began courting Rose. She didn't confide in him about her past for a long time, and then, three weeks before their wedding, she told him everything about her mother and Cal, skimping the parts about Jack. "Do you still love me?" she asked. "Even though you didn't tell me anything about your family even though I was itching to know?" he teased. "Of course I still love you."

Their wedding went off without a hitch. A week after the wedding, Charles showed Rose a news article. It was from the newspaper in Butte, sent to Charles by a friend who had heard that Rose had come from Butte. It announced that a young man, unnamed, had been at the train station a short while ago. 

"Listen to this, Rose." Charles said. "This man was run into by a rushing porter and was knocked under a train. He had told the ticketman moments earlier that he was going to catch a train to find his beloved Rose Dawson. Do you know this man?"

Rose broke down and cried, "Oh, Charles, do you remember what I told you about the man aboard the Titanic, that seduced me?" Charles nodded. "Well," she said, "that was him. I won't tell you his name, but that was him. Do you still love me?"

"Rose..." Charles soothed her, "Of course I do. I feel very sorry about that young man. I hope St. Peter opens the Gates of Heaven for him. I will let it be in a moment, Rose, but I need to know one thing. I hope it is not too forward--and if it is, you don't have to answer."

Rose smiled wanly and said, "Was I in love with him?"

Charles nodded and smiled wryly. "The answer is complicated." Rose said. "I loved him, I supposed, but I don't think I was ever in love with him, if you know what I mean." 


	11. The Final Chapter

April 14th, 1919

From the diary of Rose Dawson 

That night I told Charles the complete truth. He listened, held me tight, and promised me to never let go. For a while his words, I thought, were identical to Jack's only seven years ago. But then I realized that Charles loved me more truly than Jack ever had. I knew that night that I had to lay Jack to rest in my heart. I buried him that night and sometimes, I thought of him. 

I never forgot his face, his voice, or his laugh. When I buried Jack, I burned the newspaper clipping. Strangely, as if Jack wanted to live on in my memory only, as if he had caused it, neither of those records--of his arrest and his death, were ever found. He did live on solely in my memory. Cal died in the Great War only last year, and my mother passed on three years ago. Only seven years ago, Jack was alive. Seven years ago, he was at the prime of his life. It's amazing how time flies.

Today Charles and I have one child, a daughter. Rebecca is two years old. Maybe Charles and I will have more children, and maybe we won't. But I will always have Jack's memory, and the Heart of the Ocean.

The End 


End file.
